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Germany: Fire at Berlin's Humboldt Forum leaves one injured

A fire at the construction site of a cultural and exhibition centre in Berlin has left one person injured. Two cauldrons of tar reportedly exploded.

A fire broke out at the Humboldt Forum construction site on Wednesday, leaving one worker injured.

Some 80 fire personnel fought the fire, where a major cultural and exhibition center is being built to display artifacts from Asia, Africa and the Americas and Oceania.

A construction worker suffered unspecified injuries after two tar cauldrons and a propane gas canister exploded. Building material also caught fire.

The fire services said they were able to bring the blaze under control in under 30 minutes.

The fire broke out just before 10 a.m. local time (0800 UTC), according to Berlin-based newspaper Berliner Morgenpost. A smoke cloud caused by the fire was visible from a distance, tweeted Berlin fire service.

The forum is set to open in September after the original date was pushed back last year. When finished, the center will cover 40,000 square meters (430,000 square feet). The forum will be housed in a reconstruction of the Berlin Palace which was built largely during the 18th century.

The history of the Berlin City Palace

Berlin City Palace around 1900

The original cornerstone was laid in 1443, but the royal residence only began to take on its final form in 1701. Architect Andreas Schlüter designed the palace facades in the Italian style. With its 1,210 rooms, the City Palace subsequently became known as the biggest Baroque building north of the Alps.

The history of the Berlin City Palace

War damage

During the Second World War the palace caught fire during an air raid. The fire destroyed virtually all of the state rooms in the north and south wing. Other parts of the building survived, including the outer walls with their sculptured decorations, the supporting walls, and the main stairwells.

The history of the Berlin City Palace

First neglected, then blown up

Exhibitions were held in the post-war years in the surviving parts of the building. In 1950, however, the communist East German government decided it wasn't part of German cultural heritage and gave the order for it to be destroyed, despite many protests. In its place the Marx-Engels-Square was created as a location for mass rallies.

The history of the Berlin City Palace

Socialist interplay

In the 1970s, East German leader Erich Honecker had the Palast der Republik built on the site. It became the seat of the East German parliament, but the building also served various cultural purposes as well as being home to numerous bars and restaurants. After the fall of the Berlin Wall the building was closed because of its asbestos content, and later torn down.

The history of the Berlin City Palace

Deceptively real

After German reunification, there was a passionate discussion about the possible reconstruction of the Berlin City Palace. In 1993, a pro-construction lobby group landed a coup by erecting a scaffold with a life-size canvas mock-up based on historical pictures of the City Palace façade. In 2002, the German parliament voted to have the palace reconstructed.

The history of the Berlin City Palace

Reconstruction in the original size

In 2008, the design by Italian Franco Stella won the architectural competition to rebuild the palace. His design combines the Baroque exterior with a more modern interior. The reconstructed Berlin City Palace is to house an international art and cultural center known as the "Humboldt Forum."

The history of the Berlin City Palace

Keeping an eye on the building site

The "Humboldt Box" has become a temporary Berlin landmark - since 2011 it serves as an information center on the past and future of the City Palace. It attracted 100,000 visitors in the first 50 days alone. Visitors can also enjoy a panoramic look at how the reconstruction work is progressing from the viewing platform.

The history of the Berlin City Palace

Things are underway

On June 12, 2013, German President Joachim Gauck laid the cornerstone, which has two numbers engraved on it: 1443 and 2013, the date when the cornerstone for the historical palace was originally laid and, of course, the date the reconstruction began.

The history of the Berlin City Palace

Old decorations for new walls

While the walls are being constructed the Schlossbauhütte palace builders' shed, is making Baroque façade decorations. Using historic designs, sculptors are creating some 3,000 original pieces. The palace façade cost about 80 million euros ($90 million), most of which will be financed with donations. The finished palace will cost some 590 million euros, most of which will be financed by the state.

The history of the Berlin City Palace

Great expectations

In 2016, gray concrete dominated the site - but this will change when the Humboldt Forum is opened. Then, Berlin Museums will exhibit their non-European cultural treasures here, while the Humboldt University begins holding international conferences. The Palace courtyard will serve as a backdrop for music and theater performances.